Case Ref: 23 013 817 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its alternative education policy alongside our published guidance ‘Out of school, out of sight?’ July 2022. It should consider the recommendations we made, specifically with a view to ensuring it acts without delay. The Council will provide the Ombudsman with the outcome of its review.

Case Ref: 23 012 455 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council will consider the effectiveness of the agreement it has with the local NHS Trust to deliver adult social care occupational therapy assessments on behalf of the Council, and whether any steps could be taken to reduce the wait time.

Case Ref: 23 013 933 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• The Council will remind Council Officers dealing with children’s statutory complaints that where a complaint is made in writing the stage two timelines begin at the date of request.

Case Ref: 22 015 479 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will review and if needed amend the policy/mechanism it has in place for how schools inform it of the details of pupils who fail to attend school regularly, or have missed ten school days or more, as outlined in the statutory guidance, to ensure it is receiving suitable information about children out of education from schools.
• The Council will review and if needed amend its staff guidance to include clear advice about the need to promptly decide whether it has a duty to secure alternative provision (the section 19 duty) or consider taking enforcement action (pursuant to its section 426A duty) under the Education Act 1996. This covers situations when it comes to the Council's attention that a child may not be receiving suitable education. The Council should consider including the expectations set out in the statutory guidance and the Ombudsman's focus report Out of sight... out of mind?
• The Council will review and if needed amend its Access to Education policy to ensure the need for parental consent does not place an unnecessary barrier in the way of making decisions on whether a section 19 duty and alternative education provision is owed to a child absent from education.
• The Council will then provide training or notices/bulletins to relevant staff to highlight any changes to guidance and/or procedure.

Case Ref: 22 015 458 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Update the letting scheme’s website to show the amended allocations policy.

Case Ref: 22 014 120 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• Provide guidance to staff about alternative education provision and their responsibilities for ensuring it is considered and provided where necessary.

Case Ref: 22 012 611 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council has agreed to remind officers of the requirement to complete the children's statutory complaints procedure once started, within the statutory timescales.

Case Ref: 22 012 559 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will also: explain what it will do to prevent similar occurrences detailed in this complaint. The Ombudsman would like to see evidence of service improvement which specifically addresses occurrences where children are without sufficient educational provision.

Case Ref: 22 011 420 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will provide evidence of the staff ‘learning’ undertaken following the failure to consider all available options to facilitate a hospital discharge in May 2022.
• The Council will provide evidence of the action taken (supervisions and agenda items) to ensure amendments to packages of care are only made following a proportionate review or reassessment.
• The Council will provide evidence of the actions taken to ensure all relevant parties, and particularly Lasting Power of Attorneys, are consulted during all assessment and support planning decisions, unless dictated otherwise by the service user.

Case Ref: 22 003 061 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• issue a reminder to its planning enforcement officers of the procedures and timescales in its planning enforcement policy for the investigation of reports of planning control breaches
• review its process for monitoring the progress of investigation of reports of planning control breaches and their completion within the required timescales.